The instant invention relates to a light assembly of the type commonly referred to as a "trouble light", and more particularly to a trouble light assembly wherein the bulb receptacle includes conductor blades that define a male conductor plug.
A conventional trouble light assembly comprises a tubular handle portion, a bulb receptacle mounted at the top end of the handle portion, a cage portion at the top end of the handle portion for enclosing a bulb received in the bulb receptacle, and an integral cord set wherein the positive, neutral and ground wires of the cord set are electrically connected to the electrical terminals of the bulb receptacle. The cord set extends outwardly through an aperture in the bottom of the handle portion and the terminal end of the cord set includes a male conductor plug which may be inserted into an electrical socket to supply power to the bulb receptacle. The manufacture of trouble light assemblies is known to be labor intensive because of the electrical connections that must be made manually between the cord set wires and the electrical terminals of the bulb receptacle. While the individual wiring connections between the cord set and the electrical terminals of the bulb receptacle are not difficult to accomplish, it has been found that assembly workers who repetitively perform these wiring connections often develop carpal tunnel syndrome which is painful for the employee and costly for the employer in terms of worker's compensation insurance.
The instant invention provides a trouble light assembly which is much easier to assemble than a conventional trouble light assembly. The light assembly of the subject invention comprises a tubular handle portion, a hinged door in the handle portion, a bulb receptacle mounted in the handle portion, a cage portion mounted adjacent the bulb receptacle, and three conductor blades which are electrically connected to the electrical terminals of the bulb receptacle. The three conductor blades extend downwardly from the bulb receptacle into the handle portion where they are arranged so as to define a male conductor plug. A conventional extension cord set is assembled with the light assembly wherein the female conductor plug of the cord set is received into the handle portion through the hinged door, and then slidably engaged over the conductor blades. The cord set extends outwardly from the handle portion through an aperture defined by the hinged door and the handle portion. It can therefore be seen that the provision of male conductor blades on the bulb receptacle greatly reduces assembly labor because the manual connections between the cord set wires and the terminals of the bulb receptacle are eliminated. In a first embodiment of the instant trouble light assembly, the female conductor plug of the cord set is maintained in assembled relation with the conductor blades by means of a circular collar in the handle portion, and the hinged door is permanently sealed shut after assembly so that the trouble light and cord set assembly can be sold as a combined unit. In a second embodiment, the female conductor plug of the cord set is maintained in assembled relation with the conductor blades by means of a rotatable collar mounted in the handle portion, and the hinged door includes a releasable latching means for releasably maintaining the door in the closed position. In this manner, the trouble light assembly may be sold as an individual unit wherein the purchaser may use the trouble light with an existing cord set.
It is thus an object of the instant invention to provide a trouble light assembly in which the bulb receptacle includes conductor blades that are arranged so as to define a male conductor plug.
It is another object to provide a trouble light which is powered by a conventional extension cord set.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.